Brief #2 | Supermarket Tabloids

Tabloid Journalism

When I was young, one of my favorite parts of going grocery shopping was reading the latest gossip on then relevant celebrities, while my mom was busy checking out. I still remember that day in Walmart when I saw a tabloid that told the story of Lady Gaga strutting onto the 2010 MTV’s Music Video Award red carpet wearing a meat dress. Nothing could have ever been more scandalous. Supermarket tabloids may seem like a thing of the past, thanks to the internet and social media, but I think they still represent an important part of pop culture. That being, taking the smallest inconvenience and making it a huge deal. 

According to Cambridge Dictionary, supermarket tabloids are described as “a newspaper sold in supermarkets that contains reports about famous people's private lives or other things that have happened that are often hard to believe.” Supermarket tabloids give off the appearance of a magazine so that consumers will self consciously believe that the information is reliable. They are very misleading and to reiterate they more than often exaggerate the truth, or in some cases, flat-out lie. 

One tabloid that remains prominent in the tabloid industry is Star Magazine. Star Magazine has been around since the 70s and it doesn’t seem like it's going anywhere. In 2004, Star gained traction after transitioning to a tabloid format from a previously traditional magazine format. Although they deny the tabloid allegations, the magazine uses formats that would normally be associated with tabloids. Some sections include titles such as, “Worst of the Week” and “Stars Without Makeup.” 

One article I found while doing research was titled “How a Colombian Drug Lord May Have Plotted to Kidnap JFK Jr. Before His Death.” The title in itself is hard to believe, but as you read the article you begin to realize that the title is only the beginning. This is just one example of why it’s hard to believe that this isn’t a tabloid.

Eminem's daughter, Hailie Mathers, is a total beach babe! 🏖️💕 https://t.co/o29eZHm7cy

— Star Magazine (@Star_News) January 20, 2022

Another well-known tabloid is The Sun. I think I am going to create a tabloid called The Moon or something. The Sun is originally based out of the UK, and when I tell you they know how to tell a story, it won’t take much convincing. It is published daily and is filled with, you guessed it, all the latest celebrity and political gossip. 

Before 2018, The Sun was the UK's most circulated daily newspaper. It has been involved in many different controversies, one of which dates back to 1989. The article involved the Hillsborough disaster in which The Sun stated the tragedy was caused by the fans, when in reality the police were the ones responsible for opening the gates and allowing more fans into the arena, leading to the human crush. Ninety-seven Liverpool fans lost their lives that day. Finally, after years of haggling, The Sun made a formal apology in 2004, almost 20 years later. 

Another article published in 1982 celebrated the torpedoing of the Argentine ship. The article made the front cover and was titled “GOTCHA.”

1982 cover of The Sun

As much harm tabloids are capable of, I don’t believe they will be going away anytime soon. They are eye-catching and intriguing to audiences who don’t have the first clue about pop culture or political topics.